Pharmaceuticals are a substantial global industry which is unusual in that with few exceptions direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) is not permitted. This paper examines the arguments presented for and against the use of DTCA for prescription pharmaceuticals, studies the experience of the two OECD markets which currently permit DTCA (USA and New Zealand) and reviews the positions put forward by the many interested stakeholders for and against DTCA.
The pharmaceutical sector is unusual amongst global regulated industries inasmuch as it is usually forbidden from advertising to the users of its products. This paper reports on research updating my 2003 review
2
of the evidence and arguments for and against the direct‐to‐consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs. It not only covers the two countries where significant DTCA is permitted (USA and New Zealand), but also the administrations in which there is active discussion of possibilities to ease or amend some of the current restrictions (Europe, Australia and Canada).
The pharmaceutical industry, with few exceptions, is not permitted to advertise its products directly to consumers (DTCA). It is the author's opinion that DTCA should be allowed and encouraged and that it is only a matter of time before this happens. Support for this view comes from reviewing the substantial amount of research undertaken in this controversial area of health policy.
Direct-to-consumer advertising (DCTA) of prescription-only medicines is currently only permitted in the USA and New Zealand. While proponents of DCTA argue that it allows patients to make more informed choices about available treatment options, opponents claim that marketing inevitably presents a biased viewpoint of pharmaceutical products. Frank Auton, senior lecturer in marketing and business strategy at the University of Westminster, UK, presents his case in favor of advertising pharmaceuticals directly to patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.